Something I Don't Understand About the Human Race

Are you familiar with that rhetorical question, "Why do we always hurt the ones we love?"

It's a question for which there is an answer ... but it's an answer that doesn't happen to be good, and it's definitely not an answer which provides any justification.

The answer to the question is this: We hurt the ones we love because we take them and their feelings for granted.

But here's the really twisted part ...

When we do or say something that disappoints or angers or deeply frustrates a person we love, although it's definitely not a reflection of the love we have for them, it often is a reflection of the love they have for us.

This is because somewhere along the way they have proven to us -- whether it's by a grand gesture, a selfless gift or just by being there for the past x,xxx number of days -- that they love us regardless of who we are or what we may do, or any other peripheral factors. And in fact, it is because of our feelings of security in their love for us that, whether consciously or subconsciously, we feel confident that they won't walk away, even when we falter for a moment and unfairly take out all our grievances upon them.

We make the assumption that they can take it. In those moments when we might otherwise be with an acquaintance or a coworker or a perfect stranger, we have the maturity to not let our emotions get the best of us -- we can still walk the line between rational and irrational behavior. But then we come home on a bad day, and we snap at our moms, dads, wives, husbands for an unfair reason, we start a fight over something they had no control over. We brazenly act with no control, because we are so certain that it doesn't matter what we say or what we do to them today, they will still love us tomorrow and all will be forgiven.

Why do human beings do this to one another? I understand, but I don't understand.

Tonto Natural Bridge

A couple weekends ago my boyfriend and I had the opportunity to drive from the Phoenix metro area up toward Payson, Ariz. The town is very small, cozy and looks a lot like what you would expect of an old western town in the desert. However, Payson wasn't our main destination. What we had really come to see was a few more miles up the road -- the Tonto Natural Bridge, which is the world's largest natural bridge at 183 feet tall and 400 feet long. 

Above: First we hiked "width-wise" across a section of the bridge. This photo looks down, into the canyon under the bridge, and you can see a man-made bridge for hikers.

Above: Here you are still on the bridge, looking down into the canyon and into the tunnel beneath the bridge. If you click on the photo, it will enlarge and you can see some of the water (a mini waterfall!) falling off the bridge's edge and into the canyon.

Above: Next, we hiked down to the area below the bridge and into the tunnel.

 
Above: Beneath the bridge are pools of water and very interesting, colored, sometimes surprisingly smooth rocks.

Above: This is the view you would have if you were standing directly below the bridge's center and looking out of the tunnel. If you click on this photo you may be able to see the hikers' bridge.

Above: The "ceiling of the tunnel" or the "underbelly of the bridge," whichever you want to call it.

Above: Rocks near a pool under the bridge.

All photos by Sway Sovay

The Definition of Supererogatory

This is what would happen if stop signs didn't exist and a major corporation were charged with the task of creating one.

Salzburg, Austria

During our week in Germany, my family also had the opportunity to spend a day in Salzburg, Austria, as it's only a few hours away from Munich.

Salzburg is known for several things, including the birthplace and hometown of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and for the singing Von Trapp family depicted in The Sound of Music. The city is incredibly old, having been settled during the "New" Stone Age (which stretches from 3,500 B.C. back to something like 10,000 B.C.), but it's so well-preserved that it definitely gives tourists that whole "stepping back in time" feeling.

Here are a few of the photos I took while I was there.

Above: This was one of my first views of Salzburg. On top of the mountain you can see the Hohensalzburg Fortress. In front of the fortress is part of the old downtown area of Salzburg, and in the photo's foreground is the Salzach River.

Above: Here is a better photo of the Hohensalzburg Fortress, which was originally built in 1077. In that day and age, it looked much humbler, and it wasn't until the time of Napoleon that the fortress came to look the way it does in this photo.

Above: This is Mirabell Palace. It's probably more famous for its gardens than for its architecture. A number of scenes for The Sound of Music were filmed here, including the scene in which the Von Trapp Children sing "Do, Re, Mi" for the first time.

Above: The gardens of Mirabell Palace.

Above: A fountain in the gardens at Mirabell Palace.

Above: The two statues of the unclothed men leaning toward each other are shown in one scene in The Sound of Music. I tried to find a screenshot from the film showing them, but alas, I came up empty-handed.

Above: The steps that Julie Andrews danced upon in The Sound of Music.

Above: Since it's the the birthplace of Mozart, you can imagine that the town of Salzburg tries to promote this fact every opportunity it gets. Chuckle. (Time actually did an article on that very subject manner. You can find it here.). Something Salzburg has made famous are the Mozart Kugeln, or the "Mozart Candies," which are balls of chocolate that are something like bon-bons with marzipan (= heaven) filling. They're always wrapped in gold and red wrappers with a picture of Mozart on top. You can see boxes of them in this store's window.

Above: One of the streets in downtown. Do you see all the wrought-iron signs above the stores? That tradition began back in a time when most people were illiterate, so the store owners would put symbols of their goods or services on their stores' signs. If you were looking for a tailor, you looked for the wrought-iron sign with the scissors, or if you were looking for the bakery, you looked for the sign with a loaf of bread, etc. Things have changed a lot since then, however, as "symbolized" by the United Colors of Benetton sign in the forefront.

Above: The Sound of Music's filmmakers asked the Roman Catholic Church for permission to film in the beautiful St. Peter's Cemetery in Salzburg; they wanted to use it as the place where Liesel hides from her Nazi boyfriend, Rolf, behind one of the gates. But the church refused, and so the cemetery was photographed and reproduced on a set in Hollywood. Nevertheless, it is easily recognizable to fans of the movie.

Above: One of the grave markers with elaborate script that reads: "All what is, lives. Nothing is annihilable, Even mouldering is transition to new life."

Above: Another beautiful grave marker.

Above: Next to St. Peter's Cemetery are catacombs and a small chapel that early Christians carved into the mountain. Their handiwork dates back to 400. A.D. -- a time when it was against the law to practice Christianity. Here you can see windows that were added in later centuries.

Above: This photo follows the view to the right where the previous photo ended. The door below the small steeple is where people can enter to make the climb up to the catacombs.

Above: Here is St. Peter's Cemetery as seen from the catacombs' windows. On the right side of the photo is St. Peter's Church. I would have liked to bring back some photos from inside the catacombs, but the truth is it was so dark in there none of them came out well. Try to imagine very tiny, rudimentary stone steps that open to a small room with depressions in the walls, probably where the deceased were laid to rest.

Above: St. Peter's Cemetery as seen from the catacombs' windows. The green dome that you can see belongs to Salzburg's cathedral, which is a very beautiful, baroque masterpiece. It's also the place where Mozart was baptized.

Above: Maybe this was a lot cuter to see in person, but I loved this little house and had to bring back a photo of it. A long time ago, a man could not marry until he owned property, i.e., a house, i.e., a roof over his head. The man who built this house in the alley between these two very old buildings was either very poor and very in love, or he was incredibly cheap. Hopefully his bride didn't mind either way.

All photos by Sway Sovay

Dachau Memorial Site, Dachau, Germany

My family and I decided to spend one of our mornings making the trip out to Dachau, which was the very first concentration camp erected by the Nazis during World War II, and also the only concentration camp that was operative throughout the course of the entire war.

"Dachau" is actually the name of the town closest to the camp, but the name has also been used to refer to the camp itself. Dachau was a "concentration" camp, rather than an "extermination" camp, which was a prison established for the sole purpose of killing people by the thousands. This is not to say that no one died at Dachau; more than 30,000 of its prisoners perished.

There were many, many people at the site on the day we were there, and yet the place was very, very quiet. Because of the terrible history, there's a heavy feeling in the air; you can't visit without feeling as though it's more appropriate to whisper.

One of the buildings on the site has been converted to a museum, where you can read all about the events that took place there, about the people who were held as prisoners there and about the people who ran the camp. There are posters explaining some of the horrific science experiments that were performed on the prisoners: injections, freezing, air pressure changes and exposure to diseases, among many, many others.

The museum also has under glass a collection of personal possessions that were taken from individuals as they entered the camp, just before they were made to strip down to absolutely nothing. The possession include clothes, combs, wedding bands, books, letters, passports, journals, eyeglasses and photos of friends, relatives and spouses.

I can't describe the effect that seeing visiting the memorial site had on me. It was truly heartbreaking to consider all the horrible, inhumane events that had transpired on the very ground on which I stood. 

However, there was one thing that still provided encouragement, which was reading a number stories about how hard the prisoners had struggled to help one another. Even though they came from different countries, they found ways to communicate and help each other, smuggling items in and around camp, including medical supplies, cameras and paper and pencils. Prisoners who were doctors even tried to treat fellow prisoners who fell ill.

My visit taught me many things, but the most positive of them, was that it is still possible for human beings facing extreme hatred, injustice and tragedy to show love by helping one another to survive. It reminds me of a quote from Anne Frank's diary: "Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart."

Above: The front gates to the Dachau concentration camp. All prisoners were marched through this gate upon entering the camp. The words read "Arbeit macht frei," meaning "work makes you free." This phrase was supposed to reflect the propaganda that the Nazis were spreading, which was that the camps were not prisons -- they were "reform" camps, meant to reform the minds and bodies of those sent there. 

Above: This is the view as you walk through the gates and look left. You can see a rebuilt bunk house (prisoners' sleeping quarters) and beyond that and to the left in the distance, one of the original guard towers (with a triangular roof).

Above: If you walk through the gates and beyond, then turn and look over your shoulder, you will see that you've walked through the "Arbeit macht frei" gates of the Jourhouse, which was an administrative building.

Above: A memorial wall. In French, English, German and Russian, it reads: "May the example of those who were exterminated here between 1933 - 1945 because they resisted Nazism help to unite the living for the defence of peace and freedom and in respect for their fellow men."

This building was used as a factory, in which prisoners worked, making soldiers' uniforms, weapons, tools, etc. Sadly, they were even forced to make some of the very materials and tools that would be used to torture and/or kill them later. The sculpture in front of the building is a tribute to those prisoners who died or committed suicide on the camp's fence.

Above: The trees in this photo are Poplar Trees, the very same ones that stood there during the war. On either side of the trees were the bunk houses, and each morning the prisoners were required to line up in the space between the trees for roll call. At the end of the walkway is a chapel that was erected after the site became a memorial.

Above: The path which now leads up to the main facility begins as a straight path and then becomes increasingly crooked, meant to symbolize the way in which the camp and its leaders also became more and more crooked.

Above: Prisoners were made to wear colored triangles representing the "crimes" for which they were imprisoned. This memorial shows the triangles as part of a linked chain, symbolizing unity among the prisoners.

Above: Here is a close-up view of the "fence" sculpture. It was created by a former prisoner.

Above: Another memorial wall, which reads "Never Again" in five languages. The phrase is meant to be a promise, as well as an admonishment.

Above: Here you are standing in front of one side of bunk houses and looking back toward the main facility building.

Above: Entrance to one of the prisoners' bunk houses.

Above: In the beginning, prisoners slept in individual bunk spaces.

Above: As the number of prisoners increased, the dividers were removed to enable more prisoners to sleep, crammed next to each other, on the bunk boards.

Above: Prisoners' bunks. They look like individual beds, but prisoners were made to sleep here three to a bunk board.

Above: This photo looks toward the back of the camp's property and out across where the bunk houses once stood. You can still see the foundation for each building; they have been filled in with gravel to give some idea of size. Virtually all the bunk houses were built entirely by the prisoners themselves.

Above: After Dachau became a memorial site, small religious memorials were erected on the back of the property. Shown here is the Catholic chapel, but there are also Jewish, Protestant and Russian Orthodox memorials/chapels.

Above: Here is the first crematorium that was built at the camp. A gas chamber was also built in this building, but there is some speculation as to whether or not it was actually used.

Above: Inside the "old crematorium."

Above: Later, a "new crematorium" was built.

Above: The "Grave of Thousands Unknown." After liberation, the ashes of unknown persons were buried here.

Above: The "Grave of Many Thousands Unknown." A mass grave site.

Above: "Ashes Were Stored Here." Another mass grave.

Above: Stone marker you will pass on your way walking to and from the crematoria area. It reads: "Crematorium. Think about how we died here."

Above: The edge of the camp. Here you see the trench, the old fence and a guard tower. On the left side of the photo, you can see a collection of gray, horizontal lines. These are the foundations where the bunk houses stood.

For more information and photos of a better quality than I could provide, visit here and here and here. Just a warning: some of the photos are very disturbing. Particularly on the third webpage.

I was told that after the prisoners were liberated by the American army, the soldiers rounded up the German citizens of the town of Dachau and walked them through the camp in an effort to show them what they had allowed to happen just beyond their front yards. Today, new recruits of the German army are required to visit memorial sites such as this one. I wonder, would the world be different if every human being were required?

Photos by Sway Sovay

In and Around Munich, Germany

My trip to Munich was a very enjoyable one. (Well, right up until we tried to come home. But you already know all about that.) Our hotel was great, the food was great and the company was great.

One of the things that made me happiest, however, was that I was able to remember so much of my German! Three years ago I lived and studied in Brunswick, Germany, for six months. During those six months I was able to travel to several other cities, including Munich. So it was a lot of fun to show my family some of the places I'd already passed through and to be able to translate for them this time around.

I'll let the photos say the rest.


Above: This is the site of a very popular Biergarten (beer garden) in Munich, known for the Chinese pagoda situated in the middle of it. This particular Biergarten was within walking distance from our hotel. Have you ever had German beer? Even if you don't think you like beer, you'll like German beer. Trust me.


Above: This was a poster for an upcoming event to be held at one of Munich's Biergartens. Do you see the pagoda on the poster? Look familiar?


Above: This is the facade of the main building of Nymphenburg Palace. The palace is not very far from the center of Munich and is a sprawling residence, in which still lives "the man who would be king" if Germany were still a monarchy today. I was told he is "a lovely man, very charming, who never married, but serves on every board in the city." Sounds like he stays busy.


Above: A ceiling in the Nymphenburg Palace.


Above: Another ceiling in the Nymphenburg Palace.


The posterior of the Nymphengurg Palace, just as grand as the front.


Above: The gardens behind the Nymphenburg Palace, filled with fountains and statues and paths.


Above: One of the statues in the gardens of Nymphenburg Palace.


Above: This is a photo taken in the backyard gardens of the Nymphenburg Palace, looking back toward the residence.


Above: One of the lanterns on the bridge of stairs on the "backyard" side of the Nymphenburg Palace.


Above: Munich's famous Glockenspiel. It has been performing every day at 11 a.m., 12 p.m. and 5 p.m. for the last several decades and has never missed a beat. The Glockenspiel, which is on the front of Munich's "new city hall," actually re-enacts scenes from the city's history.


Above: Here is a close-up of the dancing and spinning figurines of Munich's Glockenspiel.


Above: There is a city park in Munich that is much larger than Central Park in New York City. Munich's park is called the English Garden, and it features open meadows, a flowing stream and waterfalls, as well as wooded pathways. Photographed here is one section of the stream in the park.


Above: It is common for citizens to swim in the streams in the state parks in Germany. And, not infrequently -- nude. Photographed here is a pair of boys -- not nude (sorry) -- swimming downstream.


Above: The English Garden of Munich and its gazebo.


Above: It has been a lifelong dream of mine to visit Neuschwanstein Castle. Neuschwanstein translates to "New Swan Stone" and is so named because the visionary behind it lacked any more creativity than to name it after his father's castle, "Swan Stone."


Above: A zoomed-in glimpse of Neuschwanstein Castle. I have to say that this is probably the most romantic castle or palace a person could ever tour in his lifetime. It was only built a little more than 13o years ago, but it was built in the style of the old medieval castles, meaning every ceiling, wall and floor is covered in images depicting the most romantic fairytales and fables of the medieval period. For example, there is art depicting the story of Tristan and Isolde, King Arthur and the knights of his round table and the search for the Holy Grail, etc. And really, who wouldn't fall in love with so many spiraling staircases, towers, secret passageways and furniture and tapestries featuring elegant swan motifs throughout?


Above: A photo of Neuschwanstein Castle's exterior. I took this after having hiked up a very steep mountain, so it's a wonder I could even hold the camera steady.


Above: Another photo of Neuschwanstein's exterior. I wish I had some photos of the gorgeous interior, but photographs inside the castle are extremely "verboten."

Above: This is the Wieskirche, commonly called "The Church in the Meadow" in English. It houses a statue of "the Scourged Savior," on which human tears were seen in 1738. The townspeople declared the incident a miracle and built the church which would become the destination of many pilgrimages. For more information regarding the church's history, and to see a photo of the statue, visit the website I've linked to.

Above: These are the front doors to the Hofbrauhaus, one of Munich's oldest breweries and most famous beer halls. If you ever wake up in Munich, I highly suggest getting some grub here. A HUGE German pretzel is a must, and of course, you had better get a stein of beer in order to wash it all down, right?

Above: The eye-catching Theatinerkirche (it's a church) in Munich's Odeonsplatz (Odeon Square). It was built to celebrate the birth of an heir to the German throne, and the day we were here there was a wedding, so the church bells were playing beautiful music for at least a quarter of an hour.

Above: This is a close-up photograph of the Feldherrnhalle, also in Odeonsplatz. As a person looks at this photo, the yellow church is to your right. During the height of Nazism, this monument was a kind of spiritual center for Hitler and his Nazis. If you go to this page and scroll down just a bit, you will see a few photos of this same town square, filled with Nazis. If you look closely at the statues, you can match up the photos. A little eerie, isn't it?

So those are some of my photos from in and around Munich. Next up, I'll be posting photos from our visit to Dachau, one of the Nazis' concentration camps during WWII. It was a very somber visit, but the place is such an important historical site that I'd like to share those photos.

All photos by Sway Sovay